Shelving arrangements

ABSTRACT

A rack arranged to be moved lengthways on rollers is made up of uprights and shelves capable of moving vertically individually to allow for unevennness in the ground. The rack is provided with a vertical-longitudinal grid which is free to move in relation to the rest of the rack and prevents the uprights swaying in the longitudinal plane of the rack.

United States Patent Liidige 51 Apr. 25 1972 [54] SHELVING ARRANGEMENTS [72] Inventor: Alois Liidige, Frankfurter Weg 13,

Paderborn, Germany [22] Filed: July 21, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: $6,938

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 696,016, Jan. 5,

1968, abandoned.

[52] U.S.Cl ..2ll/134, 108/60 [51] Int. Cl. ..A47b 57/100 [58] Field ofSearch... ..211/162,182,l77,134,148,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,812,069 11/1957 Trammell ..2l1/162 2,982,422 5/1961 Asproyerakas ..21 1/134 3,338,423 8/1967 Wellman ..21l/162 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 251,232 12/1966 Switzerland ..21l/162 866,206 4/1961 Great Britain ..21 1/134 737,821 7/1966 Canada .2] H162 Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-Holman & Stern [57] ABSTRACT A rack arranged to be moved lengthways on rollers is made up of uprights and shelves capable of moving vertically individually to allow for unevennness in the ground. The rack is provided with a vertical-longitudinal grid which is free to move in relation to the rest of the rack and prevents the uprights swaying in the longitudinal plane of the rack.

11 Claims, 17 Drawing Figures Patented April 25, 1972 3,658,186

'7 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

Patented April 25, 1972 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented April 25, 1972 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented April 25, 1972 3,658,186

7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 8

Patented April 25, 1972 3,658,186

7 Sheets-Sheet in Patented April 25, 1972 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 CROSS REFERENCE TO CO-OPERATING APPLICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-operating application, Ser. No. 696,016 filed Jan. 5, 1968 and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 1. Field To Which Invention Relates The invention relates to storage racks of large capacity of the mobile or circulating type.

2. The Prior Art In racks of large capacity, which may weigh up to 200 tons including the useful lead, it is intrinsically difficult to spread the load uniformly. The rollers on which they run may be secured to the floor, and the racks may have a rolling track beneath their base frame.

Difficulties arise in respect of longitudinal and transverse flexing in a rack frame whose underside is made as a rolling track, especially if it is of welded construction and is built to dimensions of up to 30 meters in length and up to meters in height.

Up to 100 or more individual rollers or wheels may be employed to carry the load, and it is essential to ensure that the normal loading on each roller is not exceeded, in particular because higher loading would cause breakage of the rollers, and further because the base frame would begin to warp if a load amounting to a multiple of normal loading were to be applied at one point. THe rollers would moreover begin to score or wear into the rolling track of the base frame, resulting in destruction of the rollers and track.

Uniform pressure per unit area is particularly difficult to attain in large racks which may extend 30 to 40 meters in length, since the racks can never be arranged to vear in one plane on the rollers, since in addition to faults in adjustment on assembly, subsidence of the floor of the order of magnitude of several centimeters occurs subsequently in any building. The settling of buildings, with formation of cracks, is well known. In view of the fact that settling of a foundation of such size, which can never be made fully rigid throughout its length except at unacceptable cost, is unavoidable, it must be expected that a rack assembly ofa length of approximately to 40 meters will sag by several centimeters along its length. Settling of the floor, which may amount to several centimeters, is not uniform, so that the bearing rollers secured to the foundation, also sink. This results in a curved or warped roller bearing plane. This warped bearing plane at floor level may have a tenfold effect at the top edge of the rack assembly, which means that a slight undulation of the bearing elements on the floor engenders a tenfold undulation at the upper extremity of the rack assembly. As a result, the rack assembly may incur a degree of distortion which may be eight to 10 times greater than that of the floor. Forcible corrective measures applied to the top of the rack assembly, which must be employed in any event to provide a safeguard against tipping, would then cause the rack assembly to rest on the rollers at one side only.

Such rack assemblies should be sufficiently stable to withstand the acceleration and deceleration forces which may be particularly great on obstructions occurring in the case of rack assemblies weighing between 50 and 200 tons.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION One aim of the present invention is to provide a rack assembly of the above-described type which while having the necessary rigidity to resist acceleration forces and sudden stopping forces, is so made that its structure can yield in order to provide an adaptation to unevenness in the ground.

In accordance with one aspect the present invention consists in that the rack comprises uprights carrying the shelves and having a degree of freedom to move vertically owing to unevennesses in the level of the wheels, and, extending along the rack, a reinforcing sheet for holding the uprights against rocking in planes parallel to the length direction of the rack,

the reinforcing sheet being connected with the uprights with means which allow relative vertical movement between the uprights and the reinforcing sheet.

LIST OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a broadside view of a rack in accordance with the invention illustrating flexure during the course of movement of the rack in the direction of its length.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the rack from its end to illustrate an elastic distortion of the rack.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the rack showing a wave-like deformation of the top part of the rack and also the arrangement of the wheels for carrying the rack during travel perpendicular to its length direction.

FIG. 4 is a cut away view, looking in the length direction of the rack of an upright post forming part of one of the uprights of the rack together with a horizontal beam and an inclined strut.

FIG. 5 shows the connection of a transverse bulkhead and the longitudinal reinforcing sheet on the lineVV of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a view of part of the rack near its top.

FIG. 7 shows the guidance of the top part of the rack with rollers cooperating with a rail, on the line VII-VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 shows a bulkhead on the line VIII--VIII of FIG. 6, the connection between the upper guide rail and the bulkhead via rubber buffers being shown.

FIG. 9 shows a trussed horizontal reinforcing part of the rack.

FIG. I0 shows on the line X-X of FIG. 9 the connection between struts of the reinforcing part elastically.

FIG. 11 is on the line XI-XI of FIG. 9 a side view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a horizontal section of part of the reinforcing part 10.

FIG. 13 shows the connection of a rack shelf with the transverse beams of an upright.

FIG. 14 shows the connection of a shelve to a horizontal beam.

FIG. 15 is a view from above ofa shelf.

FIG. 16 shows a modified form of rack.

FIG. 17 is a general view of an arrangement in accordance with the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference more particularly to FIG. 17 of the drawings it will be seen that an arrangement in accordance with the invention for storing goods in racks on shelves comprises two arays of substantially identical racks. The racks are carried on wheels 5 and 22 so as to be capable of being moved in their length direction while stabilized at their top portions by rails 14 on the racks and rollers 15 for movement along the directions denoted by arrows 2. The racks can be moved on the wheels 22 in its perpendicular horizontal direction as denoted by arrows l. The precise arrangement of the wheels 22 and 5 is not part of the present invention and the means for raising the wheels 5 and lowering the wheels 22 for a change over from longitudinal to transverse movement and vice-versa are not described. The wheels 5 and 22 can be arranged on the horizontal means supporting the racks for cooperation with rails on the racks or the wheels can be fixed to the racks.

As indicated by the arrows l and 2 the racks can be caused to perform a circulatory movement so that access to them can be obtained for removing articles from their shelves and loading their shelves with other articles.

Having made this introduction to the type of rack installation with which the invention is concerned, a description will bow be given of the more significant features of the invention, that is to say the structure of the racks.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 each rack 3 comprises uprights 12 in the form of pairs of vertical bearers (FIG. 4) and sheet metal bulkheads ll.

Since the rack may have considerable dimensions, for example a length of 25 or 30 meters, it is not to be expected that the platform of floor Carrying the racks can be completely horizontal. In many if not all cases there will be substantial unevennesses in the floor which will lead to the rollers 5 being moved upwards. The upward movement of such a roller 6 is shown in FIG. 1 and is denoted by reference numeral 7. The upward displacement of the rollers or wheel leads to the base frame 18 being moved upwards a corresponding amount with a subsequent upward movement of upright 12,in this case one make up of a pair of vertical bearers 23. The uprights to each side of the upright 12 are not raised.

If the wheel6 is only raised on one side of the rack, that is to say if the other wheel with which the wheel 6 is paired is not raised, the rack will additionally be titled as shown in FIG. 2, the displacement at the top of the rack being greater than the upward displacement 7 of the wheel or roller 6 by a factor pro portional to the depth of the rack, that is to say the transverse dimension, and the height of the rack. This displacement of the top of the rack is denoted by reference numeral 8.

As described the rack possesses the advantageous that the uprights are raised independently of one another when the rollers or wheels 5 pass over obstructions on the ground or when, in the case of an installation in which the rollers or wheels are fixed on the ground, they are somewhat misaligned.

However, as it is such a rack would not be able to withstand properly acceleration and decceleration forces due for instance to an obstruction 19 lying in the path of travel of the rack in its length direction. Such a jolt caused by an obstruction would result in a displacement 20 at the top part of the rack.

In order to ensure that the rack despite the advantageous freedom of movement of the uprights so that the rollers or wheels are not overloaded excessively when there is a vertical misalignment, I provide a reinforcing sheet 13 which extends along the longitudinal-vertical, that is to say saggital plane of the rack. This reinforcing sheet 13 is made up of a grid of pieces of flat steel 33 asindicated in FIG. 6. This reinforcing sheet 13 is raised by a misplaced roller or wheel 6, the upward movement of the center of gravity of the sheet 13 depending upon the distance of the roller 6 from the end of the rack.

FIG. 4 shows the construction ofa shelf supporting upright. The upright comprises two vertical bearers 23 of which only one is shown in Fig. 4, the two bearers being shown together for example in FIG. 7. The bearers are connected by horizontal beams 24 and by inclined struts 25. Between the bolts 26-29 connecting the struts and beam 24 with the bearers 23 I provide resilient bushes 30 which allow an angular displacement of the beams 24 and struts 25 in relation to the bearers 23. Reference numeral 31 in FIG. 4 shows the possible vertical displacement of the bearer 23. The struts 25 are so arranged as to co-operate with the beams 24 in dividing up the space between the bearers 23 into a series of trapeziums.

Other uprights are in the form of the transverse bulkheads 11 which, as shown in FIg. 8, are made up of pieces of sheet metals 39 and frames 35. -At the points at which the bulkheads are adjacent to the reinforcing sheet 13 the bulkheads are provided with pieces of L-girder (see FIG. 5) having flanges lying against the sheet 13 so as to allow a relative vertical movement.

The bulkheads carry lugs 36 supporting horizontal pins 37 extending into sockets 38 on the side of the rail 14. Between the sockets 38 and the lugs 36 there are rubber buffers or bushes 38. This allows a certain lateral displacement of the rail 14in relation to the top part of the rack. The rail 14 is also provided, see FIG. 7, with downwardly extending lugs 17 which carry buffers, not especially referenced, arranged to abut against lugs 34 fixed on he tops of the bearers 23. The bearers 23 are connected together by bolts 41 extending through slots in the reinforcing sheet 13. These vertically extending slots allow of vertical movement between the bearers 23 and the sheetl3. Furthermore play 42, see also FIG. 7, is allowed between the sheet 13 and the flanges of the bearers 23. The tops of the bearers 23 are connected together by cross-pieces 32.

The rollers 15 are carried on a roof part 16 for rotation about vertical axes when they are engaged by the rail.

Halfway up the rack I provide a trussed structure 10 which is capable of being bent in a horizontal plane to some extent. As shown in FIG. 9 the arrangement comprises struts 44 and 43 which are connected together and with the bearers 23 as shown in FIGS. 10, l1 and 12. The connections are carried out by means of bolts 45 which connect endpieces attached to the struts 44 and the struts 43. The bolt is surrounded by a sleeve 48 so as to leave two gaps 46 and 47 as denoted in FIG. 12. One of these gaps taken up by a piece of rubber-like material. The rubber-like material may be omitted.

FIG. 13 shows the mounting of a shelf 53. The shelf is provided with downwardly extending lips which fit into troughs left in the beams 24 of W-shaped cross-section. As shown on the right hand part of FIG. 13 the sheet metal part 39 of a bulkhead is provided with a gutter-like part 50 for supporting the shelf 53. The advantage of this manner of supporting the shelf 53 is that the shelves can be removed and replaced by twisting them only slightly in order to insert them between the bearers 23 and the frames 35 even although the struts 25 are present. Each shelf 53 has shoulders 49 and flanges or ridges 52 running along the length of the shelves.

As can be seen in FIG. 14 a screw 51 is used to connect shelves 53 on two sides of the rack. The screw 51 passes with play through a hole in the sheet 13. Owing to the use of the W- shaped beams 24 and the broad shoulders 49 it is ensured that the rack is free to move while on the other hand the breadth of the shoulder 49 ensures that there is a free space between the vertical bearer 23 and the material stored so as to allow for removal of goods from the shelves in a lateral direction.

In FIG. 15 it can be seen that the shoulder 49 is rounded off on the right hand side for insertion of material from the right into the rack. The outer part of the shelf 53 is provided with an angle part, not especially referenced, in order to stiffen the shelf.

FIG. 16 shows how the uprights, denoted by reference numeral 60, are held by inclined ties 58 and 59 which are fixed at their ends at connecting points 61. The bottom ends of the ties 58, 59, shown, are connected with the base frame 56 (corresponding to base frame 18) at connecting points 62. These ties, which are only connected at their ends, leave the uprights free to move vertically independently upon another as was the case with the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 and subsequent figures, while inclination of the uprights owing to acceleration and deccerlation forces is avoided. Reference numeral 63 indicates an opening corresponding in the position to goods placed on a shelf. Reference numeral 57 denotes vertical ties.

lclaim:

1. In a storage assembly comprising a substantially horizontal support means, a series of storage racks with long and short sides and with shelves, the racks being arranged in two separate arrays in which the racks have their short sides adjacent and parallel to each other with their ends substantially aligned, and means for moving the arrays in opposite horizontal directions perpendicular to the short sides of the racks and for moving two racks horizontally from opposite ends of the two arrays in he longitudinal direction of the respective racks from one array to the other for causing a circulation of the racks while the racks are supported on wheels, the improvement which resides in that each rack comprises uprights carrying the shelves and having a degree of freedom to move vertically owing to unevenness in the level of the wheels, and, extending along the rack, a reinforcing sheet for holding the uprights against rocking in planes parallel to the length direction of the rack, the reinforcing sheet being connected with the uprights with means which allow relative vertical movement between the uprights and the reinforcing sheet.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the reinforcing sheet is in the form ofa grid made up ofstrips offlat steel.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the uprights are placed on both sides of the reinforcing sheet and are connected together by means extending through slots in the sheet.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the uprights comprise pairs of bearers and horizontal beams for supporting the shelves, and furthermore inclined struts forming trapeziums with the two bearers and the horizontal beams.

5. The structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the inclined struts are connected with the vertical bearers by means allowing an angular deformation of the uprights.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the means allowing angular deformation are resilient.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 6 in which the uprights include sheet metal vertical bulkheads.

8. The structure as set forth in claim 1 comprising horizontal rails and rollers arranged to rotate about vertical axes, the rollers and the rails being arranged above the racks and being adapted to hold the racks upright, the rails being attached to the bulkheads.

9. The structure as set forth in claim 8 in which play is allowed between the rails and the rollers in order to allow the racks to move transversely through a small amount.

10. The structure as set forth in claim 9 in which each rack comprises a horizontal trussed horizontal reinforcing part between its bottom and its top directly under shelves of the racks.

11. The structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the horizontal beams of the uprights have a substantially W- shaped cross-section and the shelves have lips for sliding in these beams. 

1. In a storage assembly comprising a substantially horizontal support means, a series of storage racks with long and short sides and with shelves, the racks being arranged in two separate arrays in which the racks have their short sides adjacent and parallel to each other with their ends substantially aligned, and means for moving the arrays in opposite horizontal directions perpendicular to the short sides of the racks and for moving two racks horizontally from opposite ends of the two arrays in he longitudinal direction of the respective racks from one array to the other for causing a circulation of the racks while the racks are supported on wheels, the improvement which resides in that each rack comprises uprights carrying the shelves and having a degree of freedom to move vertically owing to unevenness in the level of the wheels, and, extending along the rack, a reinforcing sheet for holding the uprights against rocking in planes parallel to the length direction of the rack, the reinforcing sheet being connected with the uprights with means which allow relative vertical movement between the uprights and the reinforcing sheet.
 2. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the reinforcing sheet is in the form of a grid made up of strips of flat steel.
 3. The structure as set forth in claim 2 in which the uprights are placed on both sides of the reinforcing sheet and are connected together by means extending through slots in the sheet.
 4. The structure as set forth in claim 1 in which the uprights comprise pairs of bearers and horizontal beams for supporting the shelves, and furthermore inclined struts forming trapeziums with the two bearers and the horizontal beams.
 5. The structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the inclined struts are connected with the vertical bearers by means allowing an angular deformation of the uprights.
 6. The structure as set forth in claim 5 in which the means allowing angular deformation are resilient.
 7. The structure as set forth in claim 6 in which the uprights include sheet metal vertical bulkheads.
 8. The structure as set forth in claim 1 comprising horizontal rails and rollers arranged to rotate about vertical axes, the rollers and the rails being arranged above the racks and being adapted to hold the racks upright, the rails being attached to the bulkheads.
 9. The structure as set forth in claim 8 in which play is allowed between the rails and the rollers in order to allow the racks to move transversely through a small amount.
 10. The structure as set forth in claim 9 in which each rack comprises a horizontal trussed horizontal reinforcing part between its bottom and its top directly under shelves of the racks.
 11. The structure as set forth in claim 4 in which the horizontal beams of the uprights have a substantially W-shaped cross-section and the shelves have lips for sliding in these beams. 